Waterloo, Sierra Leone – December 22, 2025 – Unconfirmed social media reports are circulating claims of dead bodies lying openly on the streets of Waterloo, a suburb east of Freetown, with some allegedly decomposing in public view.
These allegations, which remain unsubstantiated by official sources, echo a deepening public health crisis in the Greater Freetown area driven by the synthetic drug “kush.”
Primarily affecting young males, kush, a potent mix of cannabinoids and opioids, has led to a surge in overdose deaths since 2022. Freetown City Council records show 142 unidentified bodies collected by mid-August 2025, rising to over 170 by September, often left unclaimed and sometimes uncollected for days due to resource constraints.
Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr has repeatedly highlighted the issue, linking most deaths to kush amid high youth unemployment and poverty. Similar scenes occurred during past crises, including the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, 2017 mudslides, and strikes by burial teams.
If verified, decomposing remains pose severe risks of disease spread, demanding urgent authority intervention for recovery, sanitation, and investigation. Police and health officials have not commented on the latest Waterloo claims.
Residents should avoid rumored areas and await official updates. The reports underscore calls for stronger anti-drug measures and mortuary support in Sierra Leone’s capital region.
